Hi guys. After reading through pages and pages of posts on other forums, and wrestling to get this game running in both XP and Vista, I thought I'd share my experiences, since for me the process was time-consuming and required troubleshooting. This is not meant to be a replacement for the TSH Add-On Installation Guide, but is meant to supplement it.

Moderator's note: I have edited this post for clarity, correctness, and organization.
- Joe

Please note that this process requires the .NET framework. It is recommended that you utilize Windows Update to download all available versions of .NET and any applicable patches.

What you'll need:

A. A fresh install of F/A-18 from the CD.

B. The following items, obtained at the TSH website:
1.01F patch
TSHv1
F-18E Cockpit v2.0
Objects Package Part 1 Ver 1.6
Objects Pacakge Part 2 Ver 1.42
TSHv2 (if you own Jane's F-15)
TSHv3
DirectXTweaker 2005.2 Beta 1K

C. The latest updates to DirectX.
DirectXTweaker requires at least the June 2006 update to the DirectX 9.0c runtime. It is best to just download the latest version available. You can do this here at the Microsoft website.



Procedure
1. Install F/A-18 from the CD. If you're running Vista, you'll need to run the install as an administrator.

2. Install the 1.01F patch from the TSH website. If you're running Vista, you'll need to run the install as an administrator.

3. Run the executable for TSHv1. I can't stress this enough, if you're running Vista, you'll need to run the program as an administrator. Right click on the executable and click "Run as Administrator." If you don't, your files will go into the black hole Vista has for files you try to write to places you aren't authorized to.

4. Run TSHv1 (as an administrator if you're in Vista!) click on the package button, and use the dialog box to find the cockpit zip file you just downloaded.

5. Repeat the above for the Objects Package Part 1 Ver 1.6 .zip file.

6. Repeat the above for the Objects Package Part 2 Ver 1.42 .zip file.

7. Check the boxes for Objects Package Part 1 v1.6, Objects Package Part 2 v1.42, and the F-18 Cockpit v2.0. Click Apply.

8. Install TSHv2 per the instructions in the TSHv2 readme.

9. Extract the contents of the TSHv3 archive to the FA-18 folder.

10. Navigate in Windows Explorer to your /FA-18 folder in Program Files. Right click on the F18.exe executable, and click properties. Go to the compatibility tab, and set it to Windows 2000 compatibility mode. If you're in Vista, check "Run this program as an administrator."

11. Run the DirectX update process if you have not yet done so.

12. Extract the contents of the DirectXTweaker zip to a folder called DXTweaker inside your FA-18 directory. If you're in Vista, right click the DXTControl.exe executable you extracted, click properties, go to compatibility, and check "Run as an Administrator."

13. Run the DXTControl.exe executable. If you're in Vista, and the window looks all black, you may have to close it, turn off Aero. (right click on the desktop, click personalize, click classic appearance properties, click windows classic, and click apply. Don't worry, you can turn Aero back on when we're done here.)

14. Click the New button. Click on the ellipsis by the Path box, and find your F18.exe executable in your FA-18 folder.

15. On the DirectX 9 tab, all boxes should be checked and the drop-down box should say "Default". On the DirectX 8 tab, make sure the box is checked. Same for the legacy tab. On the Options tab, Forward Hook should be checked. The other two boxes should NOT be checked.

16. Click on "Modules to load." Scroll down to and click on "Present Changer." Check the box next to "Present Changer."

17. Leave Width, Height, and Count blank. Format should read A8R8G8B8. Z-Buffer should read "Application." Type should read Application. Quality should be blank, as should Refresh Rate. Set V-Sync to "Off" and Swap to "Application."

18. Go back up to Projects, and click start. Congratulations! You should be able to enjoy FA-18 with a res of up to 1600x1200 and no lag when using AA and switching to Air-to-Air master mode!

Let me know if you encounter any problems, as I easily may have missed something.

Thanks Mike, very helpful. I have one (major) issue. You say (paraphrasing at some points)

This is incorrect. The process you just described has overwritten the TSHv3 executable, which is Bad.

You should not Apply the TSHv1 Hi-res package, regardless of whether or not you do so before or after you install TSHv3. You should particularly not do if after, because the TSHv1 Hi-res package contains its own executable. Applying this package overwrites the existing executable, and if that executable is the TSHv3 executable, that's not good. TSHv3 provides the ability to select all of the resolutions that were available in any version of the TSHv1 Hi-res patch and then some (even higher than 1600x1200).


Go check your install and cross-reference it to the TSHv3 Manual. Following the procedure you have posted, I bet a lot of the TSHv3 functionality doesn't work.

Fixed. Sorry about that - I really haven't had a chance to use any of the TSH features yet besides the higher resolutions.

This isn't meant as a replacement for the TSH install guide - I'm just throwing out there the process by which I got rid of the banding and slowdowns.

Finally! Really looking forward to use 4*AA. Great work!

But does the HUD symbols still get “blurry”? And if so, what’s the best resolution to use with 4*AA on a 19” CRT?

And it works beautifully

The only glitches I found are on the water, long black narrow lines.
The “external (F8) view: The jet seems to “jump” just a little from side to side for the first second.
Occasional freezing of the application when using the mission builder.
I simply start FA-18E from the original shortcut and build missions there. I got one occasion of freezing here also, so I’m not sure if this maybe is a general bug in XP/FA-18E?

And: The HUD “fonts” isn’t blurry at all with 4*AA. (1280*960) with “Large fonts in HUD” activated.

I love this tweak, and I’ll be flying FA-18E a lot more from now on.

Not a big show stopper, but (for quite a while now with DXTweaker), keeps crashing the application on instant action. Oh well, I just play the single missions and campaign then.

Thanks to MikeRoz for refreshing these tweaks and updating them for Vista.

Yeah, that's a known bug. Unfortunately, the JF-18 community was never provided with a fully working version of DXTweaker.


I've been meaning to make a thread like this for a while. Mike, do you mind, if I later find some time to add content here (pics and such), if I edit your top post?

Joe, basically that sounds to me as a summary (excluding Vista part) of what was particularized and discussed in that long long DXT thread. Thanks to MikeRoz for bringing it up in one capsule piece.

This 'DirectXTweaker' seems like a handy program.

Anyone know if this works in other games? Say, DW?

This is a sticky for now. I will polish it up later with pictures and such.